That the Parliament thanks Justice and Peace Scotland, the Catholic Church’s national office for social justice and peacebuilding, for its ongoing work in support of refugees and asylum seekers; notes that Bishop William Nolan, Bishop of Galloway and President, is leading a delegation to Calais on 28-29 November 2017 as guests of Maria Skobtsova Catholic Worker House to learn more about its work supporting homeless people, including refugees in Calais; further notes the recent publication, Like Living in Hell: Police Abuses Against Child and Adult Migrants in Calais, by Human Rights Watch, which, it understands, followed the destruction of the so-called Jungle migrant camp in October 2016; understands that the destruction of the camp consequently led to many predominantly unaccompanied asylum-seeking children returning to the area, reportedly facing increasing hostility and restrictions from the local authorities, including the banning of food distribution and provision of showers, confiscation of sleeping bags and tents and reports of migrants being pepper sprayed; commends the endeavours of the many staff and volunteers in Calais, many from Scotland, who have supported and continue to support those fleeing persecution and exploitation, and hopes that as the Advent season begins, people of all faiths and none will recognise the nativity crib image of a displaced family seeking sanctuary as representative of the importance of supporting and making welcome the stranger, particularly those fleeing terror, persecution or exploitation.

That the Parliament thanks Justice and Peace Scotland, the Catholic Church’s national office for social justice and peacebuilding, for its ongoing work in support of refugees and asylum seekers; notes that Bishop William Nolan, Bishop of Galloway and President, is leading a delegation to Calais on 28-29 November 2017 as guests of Maria Skobtsova Catholic Worker House to learn more about its work supporting homeless people, including refugees in Calais; further notes the recent publication, Like Living in Hell: Police Abuses Against Child and Adult Migrants in Calais, by Human Rights Watch, which, it understands, followed the destruction of the so-called Jungle migrant camp in October 2016; understands that the destruction of the camp consequently led to many predominantly unaccompanied asylum-seeking children returning to the area, reportedly facing increasing hostility and restrictions from the local authorities, including the banning of food distribution and provision of showers, confiscation of sleeping bags and tents and reports of migrants being pepper sprayed; commends the endeavours of the many staff and volunteers in Calais, many from Scotland, who have supported and continue to support those fleeing persecution and exploitation, and hopes that as the Advent season begins, people of all faiths and none will recognise the nativity crib image of a displaced family seeking sanctuary as representative of the importance of supporting and making welcome the stranger, particularly those fleeing terror, persecution or exploitation.

That the Parliament congratulates Jim Hilliard, who is
from East Kilbride, on being awarded honorary life membership by Parkinson’s
UK in recognition of his work as a volunteer over the last
quarter-century; notes that Jim got involved in light of his experience
of caring for his late wife, Betty, who lived with the condition for
many years; recognises the huge role that Jim has played in supporting
people and carers in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire and the south
side of Glasgow; values greatly the friendship and support that is offered
by the Parkinson’s group that Jim established in East Kilbride in 2004,
along with that provided by the Parkinson’s UK's Lanarkshire and
Glasgow South branches; recognises Jim's tireless work in supporting people
and making sure that their rights and entitlements are recognised, including
his contribution to the decision of NHS Lanarkshire to appoint its first
Parkinson’s nurse in 2002, and appreciates the contribution that Jim, and
other dedicated volunteers such as him, make to improve lives for people and
communities across Scotland so that nobody needs to face Parkinson’s
disease alone.

That the Parliament congratulates Jim Hilliard, who is
from East Kilbride, on being awarded honorary life membership by Parkinson’s
UK in recognition of his work as a volunteer over the last
quarter-century; notes that Jim got involved in light of his experience
of caring for his late wife, Betty, who lived with the condition for
many years; recognises the huge role that Jim has played in supporting
people and carers in East Kilbride, Lanarkshire and the south
side of Glasgow; values greatly the friendship and support that is offered
by the Parkinson’s group that Jim established in East Kilbride in 2004,
along with that provided by the Parkinson’s UK's Lanarkshire and
Glasgow South branches; recognises Jim's tireless work in supporting people
and making sure that their rights and entitlements are recognised, including
his contribution to the decision of NHS Lanarkshire to appoint its first
Parkinson’s nurse in 2002, and appreciates the contribution that Jim, and
other dedicated volunteers such as him, make to improve lives for people and
communities across Scotland so that nobody needs to face Parkinson’s
disease alone.

That the Parliament notes that the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China took place between 18 and 24 October 2017 and marked five years as President for Xi Jinping; expresses concern at the reported allegations from human rights experts that the human rights situation in Tibet has deteriorated since President Xi took office; understands that the International Tibet Network has published a new report, Xi Jinping: Five Years of Failure in Tibet, which describes the severity of the situation in Tibet, including President Xi’s reported responsibility for religious persecution, political detention and suffocating dissent, while noting the findings of the UN Committee against Torture, which, in 2015, concluded that torture is “deeply entrenched in the [Chinese] criminal justice system”; expresses its regret at the reported death in custody of the Tibetan Buddhist leader, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, and calls on President Xi and his government to halt what it considers the harsh and systematic repression of religious and cultural life in Tibet.

That the Parliament notes that the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China took place between 18 and 24 October 2017 and marked five years as President for Xi Jinping; expresses concern at the reported allegations from human rights experts that the human rights situation in Tibet has deteriorated since President Xi took office; understands that the International Tibet Network has published a new report, Xi Jinping: Five Years of Failure in Tibet, which describes the severity of the situation in Tibet, including President Xi’s reported responsibility for religious persecution, political detention and suffocating dissent, while noting the findings of the UN Committee against Torture, which, in 2015, concluded that torture is “deeply entrenched in the [Chinese] criminal justice system”; expresses its regret at the reported death in custody of the Tibetan Buddhist leader, Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, and calls on President Xi and his government to halt what it considers the harsh and systematic repression of religious and cultural life in Tibet.

That the Parliament notes the retirement of East Kilbride's Pat Watters as Chair of the Scottish Fire Board; thanks him for his exemplary public service locally and nationally over many years; notes his contribution to Scottish civic life since he was first elected as a councillor at Strathclyde Regional Council in 1982, followed by election to South Lanarkshire Council and as President of COSLA prior to his appointment as Chair of the Scottish Fire Board, and wishes him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

That the Parliament notes the retirement of East Kilbride's Pat Watters as Chair of the Scottish Fire Board; thanks him for his exemplary public service locally and nationally over many years; notes his contribution to Scottish civic life since he was first elected as a councillor at Strathclyde Regional Council in 1982, followed by election to South Lanarkshire Council and as President of COSLA prior to his appointment as Chair of the Scottish Fire Board, and wishes him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

That the Parliament notes that the final of WorldSkills, which is the world’s largest vocational skills competition, took place in Abu Dhabi in October 2017; congratulates Betsy Crosbie from East Kilbride, who is a student at New College Lanarkshire, on taking part and attaining a coveted Medallion of Excellence; recognises that Betsy competed against the best students and apprentices of mechanical engineering/computer-aided design from across the world and was one of only two women taking part; notes that she has previously enjoyed success at WorldSkills UK 2016 and EuroSkills Gothenburg 2016, and wishes Bestsy the very best for her future career.

That the Parliament notes that the final of WorldSkills, which is the world’s largest vocational skills competition, took place in Abu Dhabi in October 2017; congratulates Betsy Crosbie from East Kilbride, who is a student at New College Lanarkshire, on taking part and attaining a coveted Medallion of Excellence; recognises that Betsy competed against the best students and apprentices of mechanical engineering/computer-aided design from across the world and was one of only two women taking part; notes that she has previously enjoyed success at WorldSkills UK 2016 and EuroSkills Gothenburg 2016, and wishes Bestsy the very best for her future career.

That the Parliament notes the Spanish Government’s announcement of holding a Cabinet meeting on 21 October 2017 to discuss the suspension of Catalonian autonomy following a letter from the President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, to the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy; understands that the Catalan President has stated that his government has delayed any potential declaration of independence to allow for discussions between the Spanish and Catalan governments; notes there have been calls for dialogue from international, Spanish and Catalan figures and institutions; calls on the Spanish Government to work towards resolution of this situation in the spirit of democracy, by dialogue, negotiation and accord, and believes that the offer of a meeting by Carles Puigdemont should be accepted by the Prime Minister so that political options can be explored by the Spanish and Catalan governments to reflect the right of the people of Catalonia to decide their own constitutional future.

That the Parliament notes the Spanish Government’s announcement of holding a Cabinet meeting on 21 October 2017 to discuss the suspension of Catalonian autonomy following a letter from the President of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, to the Spanish Prime Minister, Mariano Rajoy; understands that the Catalan President has stated that his government has delayed any potential declaration of independence to allow for discussions between the Spanish and Catalan governments; notes there have been calls for dialogue from international, Spanish and Catalan figures and institutions; calls on the Spanish Government to work towards resolution of this situation in the spirit of democracy, by dialogue, negotiation and accord, and believes that the offer of a meeting by Carles Puigdemont should be accepted by the Prime Minister so that political options can be explored by the Spanish and Catalan governments to reflect the right of the people of Catalonia to decide their own constitutional future.

That the Parliament notes that 2017 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet founder of the Bahá’í faith; notes that the faith, which was established in modern day Iran in the 1860s, took root in Scotland in 1905 and is understood to be recognised worldwide as the second-most geographically widespread religion after Christianity; recognises that Bahá’í communities from around the world will be celebrating this important anniversary, and offers congratulations to the Bahá’í Council for Scotland and the elected local spiritual assemblies of Scotland, which are based in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Lerwick, Newton Mearns, Orkney Mainland East, Skye Central and Stirling.

That the Parliament notes that 2017 marks the bicentenary of the birth of Bahá’u’lláh, the prophet founder of the Bahá’í faith; notes that the faith, which was established in modern day Iran in the 1860s, took root in Scotland in 1905 and is understood to be recognised worldwide as the second-most geographically widespread religion after Christianity; recognises that Bahá’í communities from around the world will be celebrating this important anniversary, and offers congratulations to the Bahá’í Council for Scotland and the elected local spiritual assemblies of Scotland, which are based in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness, Lerwick, Newton Mearns, Orkney Mainland East, Skye Central and Stirling.

That the Parliament notes that the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games were held in Sheffield in August 2017; congratulates the young athletes from the Scotland West Team for their superb performances; notes that members of the East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club competed and that Diane Gillan won two bronze and a gold in badminton, Hazel Irvine won two bronze in badminton, Ross McCann won a bronze in badminton, Derek Tomkinson won a bronze and a gold in badminton and Ross McQuilkin and Ray Malcolmson both won bronze in the golf competition; welcomes the coaching support from all those involved, including East Kilbride’s Gordon McQuilkin, who is head coach of the Scotland West golf athletes, and David and Dorothy Gillespie, who are competition managers for the badminton team, and wishes everyone involved the very best in their future endeavours.

That the Parliament notes that the Special Olympics GB National Summer Games were held in Sheffield in August 2017; congratulates the young athletes from the Scotland West Team for their superb performances; notes that members of the East Kilbride Youth Disability Sports Club competed and that Diane Gillan won two bronze and a gold in badminton, Hazel Irvine won two bronze in badminton, Ross McCann won a bronze in badminton, Derek Tomkinson won a bronze and a gold in badminton and Ross McQuilkin and Ray Malcolmson both won bronze in the golf competition; welcomes the coaching support from all those involved, including East Kilbride’s Gordon McQuilkin, who is head coach of the Scotland West golf athletes, and David and Dorothy Gillespie, who are competition managers for the badminton team, and wishes everyone involved the very best in their future endeavours.

That the Parliament congratulates the management of East Kilbride Centre on achieving recognition of its newest leisure facility, The Hub, which was recently named one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions by VisitScotland; considers that the four-star rating for the quality of experience at the multimillion-pound development is well deserved; notes that the Aerial Adventures Walkway, climbing wall, seven new restaurants and cafes, refurbished ice rink, fitness centre and soft play area all received positive comments on all aspects of their attraction and operations, and believes the accolade to be an endorsement of the hard work of everyone involved and the continuing commitment of the town to be an ideal place to live, work and play.

That the Parliament congratulates the management of East Kilbride Centre on achieving recognition of its newest leisure facility, The Hub, which was recently named one of Scotland’s top visitor attractions by VisitScotland; considers that the four-star rating for the quality of experience at the multimillion-pound development is well deserved; notes that the Aerial Adventures Walkway, climbing wall, seven new restaurants and cafes, refurbished ice rink, fitness centre and soft play area all received positive comments on all aspects of their attraction and operations, and believes the accolade to be an endorsement of the hard work of everyone involved and the continuing commitment of the town to be an ideal place to live, work and play.

That the Parliament congratulates East Kilbride’s Sanderson High School on receiving the Unicef Level 1 Rights Respecting Award, having worked hard towards this for many years; notes that achieving Level 1 means that there is evidence that the school is explicitly embedding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in its policy, practice and culture, and that children and young people are beginning to see themselves as rights-respecting global citizens and advocates for fairness and children’s rights locally and globally; further congratulates the school on winning first prize in the Employability Across Learning category at the Scottish Education Awards, which it believes is testament to the pupils and their families and all school staff helping equip Sanderson pupils with skills for life and developing their potential as they move towards achieving positive destinations after leaving school; recognises the worth of both of these awards, and wishes Sanderson High School further success as pupils return for their new school year.

That the Parliament congratulates East Kilbride’s Sanderson High School on receiving the Unicef Level 1 Rights Respecting Award, having worked hard towards this for many years; notes that achieving Level 1 means that there is evidence that the school is explicitly embedding the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in its policy, practice and culture, and that children and young people are beginning to see themselves as rights-respecting global citizens and advocates for fairness and children’s rights locally and globally; further congratulates the school on winning first prize in the Employability Across Learning category at the Scottish Education Awards, which it believes is testament to the pupils and their families and all school staff helping equip Sanderson pupils with skills for life and developing their potential as they move towards achieving positive destinations after leaving school; recognises the worth of both of these awards, and wishes Sanderson High School further success as pupils return for their new school year.

To ask the Scottish Government how many judicial recusals there have been (a) overall and (b) in the Sheriffdom of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway in each year since 2011, broken down by (i) court and (ii) the proportion of total caseload that these represented.

Answered byMichael Matheson
(31/10/2017):

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31/10/2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many judicial recusals there have been (a) overall and (b) in the Sheriffdom of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway in each year since 2011, broken down by (i) court and (ii) the proportion of total caseload that these represented.

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints against a sheriff (a) overall and (b) in the Sheriffdom of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway have been (i) lodged, (ii) concluded and (iii) upheld in each year since 2011, broken down by (A) court and (B) the proportion of total caseload that these represent, and how many were judicial complaints lodged by (1) out-of-town solicitors and (2) clients of out-of-town solicitors where decisions went against them.

Answered byMichael Matheson
(31/10/2017):

This question relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The question has been passed to the Chief Executive of the SCTS who reply in writing within 20 days.

Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31/10/2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints against a sheriff (a) overall and (b) in the Sheriffdom of South Strathclyde, Dumfries and Galloway have been (i) lodged, (ii) concluded and (iii) upheld in each year since 2011, broken down by (A) court and (B) the proportion of total caseload that these represent, and how many were judicial complaints lodged by (1) out-of-town solicitors and (2) clients of out-of-town solicitors where decisions went against them.

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent report, Fighting for Tax Jobs, Fighting for Tax Justice, by the PCS Union.

Answered byJamie Hepburn
(14/09/2017):

The Scottish Government welcomes the PCS's report, Fighting for Tax Jobs, Fighting for Tax Justice.

The Scottish Government remains deeply concerned about HMRC's Building our Future transformation programme at what must be a worrying time for the more than 8000 HMRC staff that are based in Scotland. Scottish Government policy remains that the powers over the collection and management of all taxes raised in Scotland should be devolved to the Scottish Parliament. This would allow the Scottish Parliament to create a tax administration and collection service specifically tailored to Scotland's needs.

Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14/09/2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the recent report, Fighting for Tax Jobs, Fighting for Tax Justice, by the PCS Union.

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been asked to provide information to the UK’s Migration Advisory Committee regarding the impact that EU and non-EU students have on Scotland.

Answered byShirley-Anne Somerville
(07/09/2017):

On the 24 August the Home Secretary commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to assess the impact of International students in the UK. The formal call for evidence from the Migration Advisory Committee has yet to be announced. The Scottish Government will respond to the Migration Advisory Committee when this call is issued.

Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 07/09/2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been asked to provide information to the UK’s Migration Advisory Committee regarding the impact that EU and non-EU students have on Scotland.